When the boyfriend and I take weekend trips, it is all about food. We rarely bother with 'things you must see/do' lists and instead go straight for food markets (wherever the locals get their fresh produce) and our Airbnb host's recommendations for restaurants and bakeries. This trip was a last-minute spontaneous get away. We chose Verona because flights were cheap and it is a great city to explore by foot.

Actively avoiding Juliet's balcony, it was wonderful to wander through this beautiful city. We successfully fulfilled our two goals – to eat our body weight in fresh pasta and pizza, and to carry home a suitcase worth of cured meats and cheeses.

The pizza at Pizzeria da Salvatore was so good that we visited twice in one weekend. We also sampled as many local speciality dishes as we could: horse ragu gnocchi, donkey bigoli, braised rabbit with polenta, etc. I recommend trying the local red Amarone wine – grapes are harvested and left to dry for 4 months, before fermented and aged in oak barrels. This results in a dry, rich, deep wine. Gorgeous!

It was fortuitous for us to visit during off-peak season. Verona is no less charming in February or March, but there are significantly fewer tourists. The folk were kind, helpful and had great senses of humour. It's easy to see why ol' Bill Shakespeare was so obsessed. You can bet we will be back!